Politics

Ruth Davidson: I’d vote Remain again in another referendum

Ruth Davidson has said she would vote Remain again if there were another referendum on Britain’s future inside the EU, days after voicing concerns about the economic impact of Brexit.

The Scottish Conservative leader insisted she was “not flying the flag for Brexit” despite previously accusing Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP of failing to move on from last year’s result.

“Were there to be another referendum I’d vote to remain again”

Ruth Davidson

It is the latest sign that Ms Davidson feels differently about the UK’s withdrawal from the EU to many of her Tory colleagues, who helped to pass the Repeal Bill in the early hours of Tuesday.

Last week, she said she had a “real fear” that the UK could suffer an economic shock when it leaves the EU and “we don’t bounce back from it”.

In her most recent comments, she said: “Were there to be another referendum I’d vote to remain again”, adding: “I would quite happily never have a constitutional referendum in my lifetime on anything ever again.”

Policy differences

She also distanced herself from Theresa May’s election manifesto promise to offer MPs a free vote on whether to overturn the ban on fox hunting, saying she “didn’t want to revisit” the issue.

After the general election result, which saw the Tories win 13 seats in Scotland under Ms Davidson’s leadership, the MSP called on Mrs May to pursue what she described as an “open Brexit”.

She said at the time: “Just as the SNP must listen to the result on the independence referendum, we also have to listen to voters who did not give the UK Conservative Party the mandate we sought.”

Given that she had been prominent Remain campaigner in the run up to the EU referendum, many viewed her comments as a sign that she wanted the Government to abandon its plans for a hard Brexit outside the single market.

In her interview with Mr Harding, Ms Davidson also revealed that the Scottish Episcopal Church had “made a bid” to host a wedding for she and her partner Jen Wilson.

The church recently voted to begin marrying same-sex couples, but Ms Davidson said she had declined their offer as she is a member of the Church of Scotland.

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